Author's Notes: This story takes place during the episode 'One Angry Veronica'. If you didn't watch the show, you may not be able to follow along, because I didn't take the time to recap the show for this story. Written April 2006.Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, and I am not making any money from these stories. Warning: Non consensual disciplinary spanking of a teen by an authority figure.

The Evidence

Logan watched the last tape, and almost couldn't stomach the look on his father's face as he screwed Lily. But Logan wanted to see it all; no matter how much it made his stomach churn. He wiped the tears off his face and tried not to let the feelings of betrayal eat him alive. He took the tape out of the camcorder. He used the degausser to erase the tape thinking that he couldn't deal with anyone else seeing these images ever. And he knew that if they ever got into the public's hands that the pictures would be all over the internet for any idiot to see. He just couldn't take that chance.

He burned the evidence label and tossed it in the metal garbage to watch it burn to nothing. He heard someone knock on the door. He wiped at his face one more time, and went to get it. He opened it to find Keith Mars on the other side. He just stared at Keith not sure what to say exactly, but knowing the only reason Keith would pay him a visit is if he knew he had the tapes. Keith looked at Logan and could tell he had watched the tapes, and was now haunted by those images that would be in his head forever. Keith used a gentle voice and said, "You paid fifty thousand dollars for that experience?"

Logan didn't have a response to that. He was expecting Keith to yell, but Keith just looked kind of sorry for him. Logan opened the door wider letting him in. Keith went into the living area of the expensive hotel room. Logan shut the door and walked into the living room too. Logan leaned up against one of the walls and waited to see what Keith would say. Keith saw the tapes sitting out in plain sight and said, "Stealing evidence is a serious crime Logan."

Logan looked away and said, "What evidence?"

Keith pointed to the tapes and said, "That evidence."

Logan looked at the tapes and said, "Those are blank."

Keith felt his temper rise at that. He said, "Yeah, and everyone just leaves a degausser lying around."

Logan shrugged and wouldn't look at Keith. Keith was trying to understand why Logan would do it and said, "For someone who claims to hate his father, you just did him a huge favor by getting rid of the tapes. They were the biggest piece of evidence for his case."

Logan did hate his father, even more now after seeing the tapes then he had before. He said, "I've seen them, and so has Veronica. We can testify."

Keith just shook his head. Logan wanted him to understand. He didn't have much respect for anyone, but Keith was one of the few who hadn't given Logan a reason not to respect him yet. Logan said, "Seeing my father defiling the love of my life is something I don't want to share."

Keith did understand that. He didn't think Logan was right, but he did understand why Logan would want to keep others from seeing that. He gave a slight nod and then said, "Will you at least tell me who at the police department sold you the tapes?"

Logan smiled a little and put on a southern accent before he said, "Why sir, I've always relied on the kindness of strangers."

Keith smiled a little at Logan's hamming it up and then said, "Kindness? At our police station? I doubt "

Then Keith trailed off as he realized what Logan was trying to tell him. Logan was accusing Leo. Keith would have to look into it to be sure, but for some reason he believed Logan. Keith nodded and then walked over to the tapes. He picked them up to take them with him and got ready to leave. Logan said, "What do you think you're doing?"

Keith looked over at Logan with surprise. "They're still evidence. I'm taking them back. Maybe they can get a few images off them even with the damage you've done."

Logan shook his head and started to panic at the thought of anyone seeing those images. He glared and said, "They're mine, and unless you have a search warrant I'd suggest you put them right back down where you found them."

Keith just gave Logan a sad look and said, "You know I can't do that."

Logan stopped leaning on the wall, and stood up to his full height. He said, "You can and you will, or I'll call hotel security and have you thrown out."

Keith could tell Logan was trying to be intimidating, but Keith could only see it as humorous. He gave Logan a small smile and said, "Head of security here is Jerry. We go way back, and if you think he's gonna throw me out you're mistaken."

Logan took a threatening step towards Keith and said, "Then I will."

Keith got irritated and said, "Logan, what you did was wrong. Stealing evidence can get you serious jail time. Now I'm willing to leave your name out of it because I've known you since you were twelve, my daughter used to love you, and I understand why you did it. But make no mistake, I'm taking this evidence back with me."

Logan couldn't let that happen. He lunged for the tapes that Keith was holding. He was planning to grab the tapes and lock himself in the bathroom long enough to burn them. But Keith was too quick for him. Keith stepped to the side, and Logan went face first onto the floor. Logan was up a second later ready to try again.

Keith was pissed now. He couldn't believe after everything he had just said, that Logan was still trying to get the tapes. Keith could tell Logan was willing to fight him for the tapes, but he wasn't about to let that happen. Keith calmly put the tapes down on a little table that was next to the TV. He turned to Logan and saw Logan was coming towards him again. Keith was a former cop, sheriff, and private investigator, and had experience in subduing people who were bigger then himself. He used that experience to step aside so that Logan missed running right into him. Then when Logan was right next to him, Keith grabbed his arm and quickly shoved Logan's left arm behind his back. Next he grabbed a fist full of the back of Logan's shirt up by his right shoulder so he couldn't turn back around.

It happened so fast, Logan didn't even realize what was going on until it was too late. Before Logan had much time to react, Keith walked Logan over to the nearest wall, and shoved him chest first into the wall while keeping a hold of his arm. Logan was just starting to struggle when he found himself stuck.

Keith kept a tight grip on Logan, who was too shocked to say much. Keith said, "Do I have your attention Logan?"

Logan nodded once. Keith said, "I understand how hurt you are by what your dad and Lily did."

Logan interrupted with, "No you don't! You can't!"

"My wife was in love with another man for most of our marriage, and she wasn't faithful to me, so I think maybe I can."

Logan knew that Veronica and Duncan thought they might be brother and sister at one point, but he hadn't really thought about it from Keith's point of view until now. He realized Keith did understand. Keith went on, "But Aaron murdered Lily in cold blood, and he tried to kill me and Veronica. Then on top of that, I don't think he feels any remorse for it. If he gets out, I believe he will kill again. So even though we both find it loathsome that he slept with Lily, destroying those tapes was the wrong choice."

Logan felt fear at the mention of his father getting out. He liked Aaron better when he was safe behind bars. Keith said, "So now you have another choice to make. Either you tell me that I can leave here with the tapes, knowing that they most likely won't be of any use to the case, or you can give me some of your usual attitude, and then I'll have to convince you pick option number one.

Logan tensed up and said, "Fuck you Mr. Mars. Go ahead and try to beat me up. It won't make any difference to me."

Keith shook his head and said, "Beat you up? I don't make a habit of beating up kids Logan. But now that you mention it "

Logan could have bitten off his tongue at this point. He had assumed from past experience with his father, and from the position he was in, that Keith was planning to hit him until he agreed to give him the tapes. But knowing he put the idea in Keith's head just sucked. He yelled, "Let me go!" and started to struggle more.

Keith thought about it. He had really just planned to hold Logan long enough to talk to him into agreeing to give him the tapes, while keeping him calm. But now that the idea was in his head, it wouldn't go away, it just changed slightly. He had thought Logan could use a spanking more then once over the years, and had often wondered why Aaron hadn't done it. He ignored Logan's demand to be let go, and held him tighter when he started to struggle. Keith looked around the room and when his eye caught the couch he pulled Logan away from the wall, and walked him to the back of the couch. He bent Logan forward over the back of the couch, while still holding his wrist behind his back.

Logan wouldn't admit it, but actually was scared that Keith was going to beat him up. He yelled, "What the fuck are you doing?!!"

Keith's answer was to bring his hand down on the right side of Logan's butt with medium force, and then again on the left.

Logan yelled, "I am gonna sue your ass! By the time my highly paid lawyers get done with you, not only will you never be able to run for sheriff again, but you won't even be able to show your face in Neptune without someone calling you a child molester!"

Keith set up a rhythm for the spanking, increased the force, and said, "Child molester? You've got a vivid imagination Logan. Will the people be running me out of town before or after you serve out your jail term for killing Felix and stealing the evidence for your father's case? Because in my experience jurors aren't very sympathetic to felons. Not to mention I bet I could get a string of character witnesses to say you deserved this."

Logan wasn't actively trying to struggle any more. Now that Keith was doing it, Logan was less scared of what Keith might do, and was now angry about what he was doing. His father had beaten him more then once, but it was usually belt to bare back. Keith was using his hand over Logan's jeans, and while it was slightly uncomfortable, it was certainly bearable. Logan thought it was odd that Keith thought this would change his mind, or that it would do anything other then piss him off.

Keith said, "What would Lily think about what you did?"

Logan couldn't help but think about that, and it made his stomach churn. He said, "None of your God damn business!"

Keith rolled his eyes and kept swatting. "I knew Lily pretty well. She would have wanted those tapes to go public. If she could talk to you now, what do you think she would say? Don't you think Lily would want Aaron to go to prison for her death?"

Logan knew that everything Keith had said was true but didn't want it to be, and his butt was going from uncomfortable to painful pretty quickly. He said, "You don't know what she would want! Just shut up!"

Keith said, "Erasing the tapes was selfish Logan. You say Lily was the love of your life, but when you really love someone their needs often come before your own. Lily needed her murderer to be brought to justice, and now that might not happen for a second time."

Logan felt his throat tighten up, and his vision became blurry at those words, and for some reason the spanking that was still happening seemed to make the words that much worse. He didn't want them to be true, but deep down he knew they were, even if he would never say so. Keith's hand was getting pretty sore, and Logan hadn't budged, twitched, tried to get away, or complained once. Keith stopped and shook out his hand for a second. He looked down at the back of Logan's head and said, "And what about Veronica? Over the summer you seemed to care a great deal for her. You know your father tried to kill her too. Did you even think about that when you erased the tapes?"

Logan didn't trust himself to talk, so he just shook his head no. Keith sighed and said, "If I let you up, are you going to try and deck me?"

Logan shook his head no again, and tried hard to get his emotions under control. Keith let him go, and Logan stood up and backed away a few feet. He kept his head down, and hoped Keith would just go away so he could break down in peace. Keith said, "Look at me."

Logan darted a glance up, but quickly looked back down. Keith could tell with one look that Logan was close to tears again, so he knew that at least his words had had an effect on the boy. Keith asked, "Are you going to fight me when I take the tapes back to the police station?"

Logan shook his head no, and kept his eyes down. Keith didn't think he had ever seen Logan so quiet. He always had something to say. Keith thought for a few seconds trying to think of something to make Logan feel better. He said, "Lily did love you, you know."

Logan's head shot up to look at Keith, and he maintained eye contact. Keith said, "She came over to our house one night to spend the night, and I'm sure she had already had a few. Veronica was trying to keep her quiet, but she was pretty loud, and I could hear them talking through the bedroom wall. Lily went on for half an hour about you. She said that while she slept with all kinds of guys just to piss her mother off, that you were the only one that really mattered. She even said that while she never planned to get married, if she were ever going to marry someone it would be you."

Logan couldn't hold it in anymore, and he turned his head to the side and leaned down slightly to hide his face from Keith as he started to cry. That wasn't quite the reaction Keith had been trying for, and now felt worse for Logan. He wasn't sure if Logan would accept it, but he couldn't stop himself from walking over and pulling Logan into a hug. Logan felt Keith pulling him upright, and then enveloping him in a hug. Logan kind of hated himself for being so desperate for human contact, but found himself hugging Keith back tightly as his crying got louder.

Keith held onto Logan and waited him out. Logan had lots of reasons to cry, and he didn't do it very often, so once it started he had a hard time stopping. A few minutes later Keith could tell the crying was tapering off and he said quietly, "I know it's going to sound kind of corny, but it's something my dad told me when I was a kid, and it always made me feel better."

Logan realized he had been crying on Keith's shoulder for a while now, and was suddenly more embarrassed about that then he was about the fact that Keith had spanked him. He let go of Keith and took a few steps back while he looked at the floor and tried to get himself under control. Keith let him go and said, "Things may seem really bad today, but chances are they're gonna get better."

Logan wiped at his face with his sleeves, thought about what Keith had said for a second, and then gave Keith a disbelieving look and said, "That's it?"

Keith smiled and shrugged, "My father wasn't a very wordy kind of guy."

Logan's lips twitched up in a smile for just a second and then he said, "That's the worst inspirational message I've ever heard."

Keith got serious again and put a hand on Logan's shoulder. He said, "I don't know if it means anything to you, or even if you'll believe me, but I did what I just did to try and help you, not to make you feel bad. And for what it's worth I forgive you for taking the tapes. I do understand why you don't want anyone to see them."

Logan uncomfortable with the touch now took a step back, looked away, and sounded lame even to himself as he said, "Whatever dude."

Keith gave him a look for the 'dude' but then nodded and said, "Okay then, I'm gonna go. Should I get in contact with my lawyer about today?"

Logan shook his head no. Keith nodded and went to pick up the tapes. As he got to the front door Logan said, "Hey Mr. Mars?"